Bell Municipal Code Ch. 5.32 Charitable and Religious Solicitations

No person, without having first obtained a permit therefor, as provided in this chapter, shall make any appeal to members of the public for a charitable or religious purpose, either by soliciting or collecting tithes, contributions, donations or subscriptions, or by promoting or conducting any sale, bazaar or exhibition or by any other means, at any place or to any person within the city. No filing or processing fee shall be required pursuant to this chapter.

(Prior code § 4145)

A. No permit shall be required for any of the acts or activities described in Sections 5.32.010 and 5.32.030 of this code by the members of any religious or charitable organization which has been in existence and which regularly has maintained a headquarters or a place of worship, in the city for a period of at least one year next preceding the date on which such activity is proposed to be commenced; provided that the chief administrative officer has issued a permit authorizing the acts or activities described in Sections 5.32.010 and 5.32.030 of this code to such organization. Permits issued to organizations as described in this subsection shall be valid until revoked.

B. Solicitation by Mail or Telephone. No permit shall be required for any solicitation carried on exclusively by the United States mail or by telephone.

(Prior code §§ 4147, 4148)

No person, without having first obtained a permit therefor, as provided in this chapter, shall sell or solicit for, or on behalf of, any person for the sale of any ticket or right to admission to any amusement, show, entertainment, lecture or other enterprise not regularly carried on for private profit or gain by any person at a fixed place of business in the city, or solicit any contribution or gift in connection with such amusement, show, entertainment, lecture or other enterprise, where such sale or solicitation is for other than a charitable purpose and is made to persons other than the bona fide members of the firm, association or corporation, causing such solicitation or sale, or for or on whose behalf such solicitation or sale is made and where in connection with any such amusement, show, entertainment, lecture, or other enterprise, it is represented, advertised, held out, implied or made to appear that such sale, solicitation, contribution or gift or any part of the proceeds therefrom shall belong to or be devoted or used for the benefit of any person, firm, association or corporation.

(Prior code § 4146)

The chief administrative officer shall consider the application and other relevant information obtained by him or her as a result of his or her investigation. If he or she finds that the applicant has not stated true facts in the application, or that if a permit were to be granted to the applicant, a fraud, in all probability, would be perpetrated upon members of the general public, he or she shall refuse to issue such permit. If he or she finds that the application is truthful, that the applicant is acting in good faith, and that, in all probability, a fraud would not be so perpetrated, he or she shall issue the permit to the applicant for a period of time, as requested by the applicant, not to exceed a period of 90 days from and after the issuance of such permit.

(Prior code § 4149)

The chief administrative officer shall suspend any permit issued hereunder if he or she finds that the permittee in its operation is, in fact, perpetrating a fraud upon members of the general public. The provisions of Chapter 5.16 shall apply to actions of the chief administrative officer taken hereunder.

(Prior code § 4149)